There are several different ways to open and read a text file in Windows. The most common is to simply double-click the file and it will open in Notepad, Microsoft’s simpler text editor. Depending on the type of text file, it may open in WordPad, another text editor provided by Microsoft.
If you’d like more control over the editor when opening a file, right-click the file and select “Open with”. From here, you can choose Notepad, WordPad, or any other application that is capable of opening text files.
If you need to access a text file from the command line, use the “type” command. This lets you view the contents of the file directly in the command prompt window. To view the contents of a file called example.txt, type: type example.txt.
If you don’t have a text editor installed, the Windows store can provide you with one for free. Options include Notepad++ and Sublime Text.
In addition, if you’re looking to create or edit text files, you can open them with Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and Power Point. All three applications can save files in .txt format as well as in their native formats.
Finally, if you want to open a text file created on Mac OS or Unix-based systems, you may need a third-party program designed to handle the task. Examples include NotePad2, PSPad, Crimson Editor, and UltraEdit.